The cycle of day and night continued, uninterrupted despite Armageddon’s best attempts. Dawn crested over the horizon early – ushering in another daytime of struggle. Light flooded into Marcus’s room, playing across his face – disturbing what had been fitful, albeit dreamless, sleep. Groggily adjusting his bearings, and cursing at the lack of curtains, Marcus arose slowly – still sore from previous expenditures. Packed schedule held firmly within his mind, Marcus dressed and leisurely left the room in search of Angelica.

Civilian and soldier alike went about their morning routines surprising him with their eagerness. He’d assumed after yesterdays skirmish, and resulting casualties, that morale would’ve once again plummeted; Maybe those who gave up easily were already dead? Reasoning aside, Marcus noted many tasks noted down needing his immediate attention – several of them relating to his own notifications. Deciding now was as good a time as any, he set about categorizing his gains. For brevities sake, Marcus set skill and spell advances to display as a list.

[Level Up + 10]

Unstable Earthen Spines + 10, Inorganic Shaping + 7, Overchannel + 4, Mana Manipulation + 8, Elemental Manipulation + 8, Elemental Sight + 2, Scorching Ray + 3, Mineral Purification + 1, Meditative Mind + 2, Stone Throw + 2, Tendrils of Earth + 9, Trap Making + 1

Marcus wanted to get everything to at least fifty. From his experience he’d get extra bonuses after multiple attributes hit their breakpoints and reaching fifty didn’t take long anyways. Currently, he’d be able to raise Charisma or Luck to that point immediately, and of those two choices, Charisma seem like a marginally better selection. Before he could mind game himself out of the choice, Marcus added twenty-two points, raising Charisma to fifty - likewise pumping what remained into Luck, raising the statistic to thirty-eight.

Additionally, he’d gained another fifty-seven PP, an adequate amount for finishing Mana Molding which only required six - something he invested in immediately. Selections finalized - Marcus acknowledged several anticipated notices.

Attraction, a simple concept, but much of its meaning is left up for interpretation. Everyone possesses an ideal image for desirability – beauty being one of Universe’s most controversial topics, but communication acts as a cornerstone of all understanding.

New passive gained: © Universal Translator

What appeared next sent pleasant chills down his spine.

Molding unshaped materials into useful objects and constructs is both an art, and a science. Taking raw mana and bending it to your will, constitutes but the first step of many in a path wrought with endless possibility. Shape spells, enchant magical weapons, and even produce monstrous beings of unimaginable power, these are only several applications that Mana Molding encompasses. Let creativity and experimentation be your guide.

New ability gained: ® Basic Elemental Summoning

New Passive ability learned – ©Universal Translator – Level. 1 | Understanding dialog, both vocal and physical allows for deeper connections. No longer will you commit social faux pas caused by ignorance; Translates common galactic and local languages. Higher Levels increase rate of translation, detail, and languages understood.

New Spell learned – ® Basic Elemental Summoning – Level. 1 | Harness creations of Aspect embodiments, fueled by pure mana. Whether, Fire, Air, Water, Earth or more abstract types, all is possible with proper control. Summons exemplify empowered ability versus their natural counterparts – shape, function, and more can be modified at higher levels; additionally, mana consumption lessens.*

*Rules of Summoning:

One creature for every one hundred collective Intelligence and Wisdom score. Control range determined by Charisma and Perception. Level Range +/- 5 Summoner level Larger summons 'consume' multiple 'slots'; determined by level, size, shape, and base race. Maintenance Cost Extended* – 50/Min | 3,000/HR

*Costs are for EACH sustained creature

Marcus pumped his fist seeing summoning finally become a proper skill. People around him shot questioning looks, not that he cared about their opinions right now. He’d wanted nothing as much as this ability, but its new restrictions hurt. Previously, his creations had required an upfront mana cost and a pitance for upkeep; somewhere in the range of twenty mana an hour each. Marcus would need to experiment on why the cost skyrocketed so much, but quick guesses pinned it on their increased capabilities – notably intelligence.

Before losing himself on tangential thinking, he needed to establish what path he'd embark on next. No new options appeared, but he brought up the menu anyways.

Armed Combat – (0/50), Beginners Path – (0/25), Crystalline Bones – (0/200), Fire Aspect – (0/50), Light Aspect – (0/100), Void Aspect – (0/100), Magus II – (0/100), Earthen Works - (0/100), Bulwark - (0/100)

Of his choices, he kept being drawn towards Crystalline Bones – for no other reason than its predecessor had been massively beneficial. Although Marcus hadn’t been able to practice Crystalline Veins yet, but the ability would eventually become massively useful; casting spells from any direction just sounded fun. In addition, his race shared the path’s naming scheme, and if nothing else, Azarti painted a clear picture of its potential in later stages. The Naga’s scales proved impervious to his offensive attempts and Marcus hoped to gain something similar one day - becoming a glass cannon wasn’t an acceptable future. While Aspect related paths would assuredly provide new spells, Marcus didn't see why he should further water-down his spell list, at least currently.

After eliminating various choices he would consider later, Marcus was left with only a handful, Magus II, Bulwark, and Crystalline Bones. Of those options, Bulwark proved too vague, and Magus II, unreliable. Left with but one choice, and satisfied with his reasoning, Marcus began adding PP towards the path – triggering another screen.

Your burden forever becomes heavier, stressing your bones beyond their limits. In their weakness, fractures form exposing marrow to blood. Vivid vitality seeps into bone through these gaps driving repairs further catalyzed by crystalline enhanced blood – rebuilding their fundamental structure into something new, but better. Your path continues, but old burdens that once immobilized now feel light as a feather. In the distance you spot a point of respite and rest – struggle onwards.

Snapping sounds audible to the naked ear rang out from his body. Blinding pain lanced across nerves, paralyzing any response that may have otherwise occurred. Marcus collapsed, barely conscious while the process continued. Unabated, he lay there for several minutes, pain lessening with each passing second. Once finished he took several large breaths, collecting himself, standing, and moving on.

Note to self, do not, and I repeat DO NOT start new paths during stressful situations. It may only be Crystalline paths that caused this kind of trauma, but I’d rather not find out at the wrong time. …At least no one was around to see me fall like a fool.

After its first point, no further issues cropped up from the path, allowing Marcus to freely invest his remaining PP, bringing his progress up to fifty-three of two hundred. Each set of five PP rewarded five Strength, Constitution, and Agility; like its precursor, this path focused on a specific type - in this case, physical attributes.

Nothing major had changed about his status with these add-ons, and Marcus felt no need to open the full page. Finished with his chores, Marcus continued his walk across base, and eventually approached where he’d been told to find Angelica; informed by passersby’s where he’d find her. The location turned out identical to yesterdays ‘interrogation’ - at least he’d not gotten lost.

Sentries stood at attention near each door blocking unallowed access, fortunately for Marcus he’d been expected, and was allowed in with little trouble. One guard did follow him if only to make sure he didn’t get ‘lost.’ Minutes of walking later, Marcus entered an office brightly lit by open windows – curtains fully drawn. Angelica sat behind a desk, sporting standard uniform, her brunette hiding eyes entirely focused on what looked to be manifests. Coughing lightly, Marcus hoped his presence wasn’t unwelcome - she seemed busy. Paperwork complete, Angelica sat down her pen, directing striking green eyes on his, gruffly acknowledging his arrival.

“Sleeping beauty finally awakens, glad you decided to join us this morning. While you slept, I’ve been organizing people into small detachments according to your idea. Of course, changes have been made, but at its core the plan remains the same. While I haven’t completed everyone’s assignments, enough are prepared to begin operations, “she finished, awaiting his response.

Taken aback by her energy it took a moment to reply, “Good…I think? You're much more experienced in matters such as this so I’ll yield to you. You’ve already seen the Blighted quest - that saves me a lot of unnecessary explanation. With that in mind, we need to begin immediately clearing the city, we’re on a strict deadline before this situation goes critical. Assign my team to another group and send us towards locations too hot for standard classers; I’m no veteran, but I seem to have a knack for our new world.”

Nodding she replied, “That’s about what I’d figured, and scouts have already found a location suitable for your expertise,“ she explained, air quoting the last part, before speaking again, “North three kilometers lies a hotspot where Pickens Technical College once stood. Blighted activity in the area is high, and if I was a betting woman, and I am, a Distortion Vat Facility lies there. At 1100 hours your team will rendezvous with your escorts before departing; they’ve already been informed. This leaves you with two hours of preparation – Don’t be late,” Angelica finished dismissively.

Knowing when he’d been told to leave, Marcus stood heading outside to experiment with summoning.

My patience for Angelica, and conversely the military is already running low. The plan was never to stay inside of Denver, but circumstances demand it. While I'm no leader being treated as just a tool doesn't fill me with exactly positive feelings; I can't wait to get back to the mountain and Azarti... I hope the big guy isn't too bored.

For his next assignment transportation wasn’t necessary; not that he’d be able to sustain enough mounts for everyone anyways. Marcus went over his summoning process once again but drew upon new knowledge provided by his skill.

He’d chosen to create a bipedal creature this time due to mission constraints, primarily Marcus wanted to free up its arms for other applications. Additionally, he’d been desiring a summon created mixing both Fire, and Earth aspects; especially after seeing their brutal effectiveness when doing so with other spells. For its shape the summon would stand five meters tall, half that wide, and have thick armored limbs – at least he hoped.

Much of his procedure remained consistent, but large variances became instantly apparent. For starters, his mana drained prodigiously, rocketing towards empty many times faster than before, and additional changes only showed itself after aspectation.

Each Aspect fought for control - tearing at their bindings in an attempt to escape. Marcus’s wireframe model frayed at various points, rapidly losing integrity, under a barrage of elemental energy. He wasn’t sure why the process was malfunctioning - these aspects weren’t opposites. Burning mana rapidly repairing his creation, it finally clicked after several minutes of pressurized conservation; he’d hadn’t been blending them together.

Merging them turned out easier said than done. Rapidly thumbing through ideas, he finally settled on their traditional mixture – magma. With his new image in mind, he pressed it towards his creation. Slowly but surely, Marcus’s model calmed, gradually completing its aspectation phase; alas this wasn’t the end.

His next step proved harrowingly difficult, and several issues occurred in sequence. Reaching this point had drained his pool to less than a quarter, but every remaining dropped rushed out of him now. Marcus instinctually followed his skills guidance, coalescing raw mana into a spherical shape. Several, additional spheres broke off the main construct and entered an orbit around the larger sphere; forming what he’d call a core.

Focus entirely focused on the process, Marcus slowly worked on embedding the core deep into its chest. Marcus’s final step involved siphoning independent Fire and Earth mana into each satellite - one type dominate each of them. Streams of mana converted raw orbital bodies into their final makeup. Last requirement complete, Marcus gasped with exertion, trigging his staff’s ability – drained, but successful. Mana imploded inwards towards his creation before forcefully rippling outwards, knocking him off his feet.

Standing up immediately, Marcus looked at what he’d done, and could only gawk at his creation. Even a dozen meters away, he’d already begun sweating as insane amounts of heat radiated off this monster. Marcus provided its general shape, but through a combination of Capacitor Discharge, and he guessed luck, what appeared differed greatly.

Rather than five meters tall, the creature was nine; size being its least striking feature. Instead of arms, massive blades of molten stone pulsed angrily – their temperature so hot they blazed white. Each stretched several meters in dimension, their base thick - tapering out into a jagged pike over their length. Thick metal-laced obsidian plates covered its body, jutting out at its shoulders creating pauldrons. In the end, the giants most striking feature lay within its chest – a semi-transparent material he couldn’t identify, revealed his summons core. From an observer’s perspective it looked like a sun orbited by two planets – one red, and the other brown. Unable to resist any longer, he inspected it.

Magmatic Berserker – Level. 48 | Type: Artificial Mana Construct/Golem | Mana Constructs are artificial duplications that are typically larger, smarter, and more durable than their natural counterparts. Artificial creatures summoned through mana take on unique features depending on aspect type used during creation. Magmatic Berserkers are an amalgamation of both Fire and Earth mana types. These creatures typically form naturally around volcanos, or on transitory planes centered between Fire and Earth planes.

Specific characteristics listed below:

Passive: Molten Blades – Shear through armored opponents much more easily. Passive: Earth-Iron Plating – Heavy natural armor alloy consisting of Iron, Nickel, Obsidian, and Chromium; mildly resistant towards magic. Active: Pyroclastic Core – Merges primary, secondary, and tertiary core constructs causing massive intensification of combat ability. Requires supplementary mana to fuel reaction (1500/Min). Once deactivated, or two minutes transpire, golem enters temporary dormancy.

WARNING: If forcefully extended beyond two minutes, construct suffers catastrophic structural failure.

During his inspection, Marcus noticed that his Berserker draining an equivalent amount of mana that three would’ve instead of one. Experimentally, he attempted forming another construct, but hit the hard wall of resistance he’d encountered before.

Tsk, with three of these they could’ve just marched right through any foe...Eh, had to be balanced somehow huh?

Looking around he noticed several things, for one he’d drawn an extremely large crowd, and two, this process took much longer than it had before. Summoning typically took thirty minutes to complete, but now even with bonus the time jumped up to well over an hour. Marcus just blamed his problem on its newly elevated complexity, and hell, it was damn well worth it.

By far the most useful attribute his summon had gained was an intuitive understand of commands. Instead of having his orders barely understood, Marcus’s creature followed him unbidden – subconsciously knowing what he wanted done.

No more stupid bears running into walls for me, no siree! Never again.

Gather basic rations, and supplies didn’t take long - even with everyone gaping, and in many cases running away from, his summon. Reaching the rendezvous right on time, Marcus drew incredulous looks from Adrian and Greg; he chose to simply ignore their gaze.

“Are we waiting for anyone else before we head out?” he asked the group.

Adrian scowled at him, “You’re just going to ignore the obvious question, aren’t you?”

“I certainly don’t know what your talking about Adrian, everything is in order right?” Marcus replied, shit eating grin spreading wide.

“Fine, fuck it - I’ll just pretend not to see the GIANT FLAMING GOLEM follow us. Real subtle that one by the way, no one would ever see him coming!” Adrian yelled.

“Hey now, I worked really hard on this guy, and he’s going to save our hide, I guarantee it, “ Marcus prattled on, drawing hostile looks, “Fine, just trying to take solace in simple pleasures…As you can see it’s a Magmatic Berserker, my newest summon. Important notes on these things, they take over an hour to make, consume 150 mana a minute as maintenance, and if you can’t tell, its hot around them – deadly even, so don’t stay too close.”

Grumbles could be heard, mostly about not being told much, but they really couldn’t complain – Marcus was right after all, much better for a mindless simulacrum to take a beating than them.

Wordlessly everyone shouldered their packs and weapons, beginning their brief march towards what was most certainly going to be a bloodbath.